Heron Hill Care Home

On this page

• Overview
• Kindness, compassion and dignity
• Treating people as individuals
• Independence, choice and control
• Responding to people’s immediate needs
• Workforce wellbeing and enablement

Caring – this means we looked for evidence that the service involved people and treated them with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.

At our last assessment we rated this key question Good. At this assessment the rating has changed to Outstanding. This meant people were truly respected and valued as individuals; and empowered as partners in their care in an exceptional service.

This service scored 90 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

The service was exceptional at treating people with kindness, empathy and compassion and in how they respected people’s privacy and dignity. Staff always treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

Our inspection team were warmly welcomed by the whole staff team. The management team were keen to show us the excellent care given by their staff. The management and staff team all showed confidence in their practices and were open when engaging in discussions.

As part of their ethos, the service aimed to have a ‘genuine dedication to ensuring that each resident experiences a sense of belonging and contentment throughout their care journey’. We saw this was embedded at Heron Hill Care Home and evident throughout our inspection.

People and their relatives told us staff showed them kindness, empathy and compassion. One person told us, “[The staff] show nothing but kindness. I am treated with love and support.” Another person told us, “These people are my family. I just love them.” One relative told us, “I see how kind and caring the staff really are, not just to my [person], but to all the residents.”

We observed extremely kind and compassionate interactions between staff and people. It was evident from people’s body language, staff had formed a caring, trusting relationship with them. We observed a carer providing reassurance to 1 person when they became distressed. The carer used natural communication to gain the person’s trust and engaged in meaningful interaction. The person’s mood quickly shifted from distressed to comfort and belonging.

The service treated people as individuals and made sure people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences. One relative told us, “We have experienced care in other homes, and this home has it right. My [person] is treated as an individual and their needs tailored accordingly.” Another relative told us, “My [person] always looks nice when I visit. They always wore make-up at home and the staff still help them use it here. [Person] is treated with love and respect.”

The service took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics. One person, who had wanted to reconnect with relatives, had been supported to do so by staff. Staff had helped to nurture these relationships, leading to an improvement in the person’s emotional well-being and sense of belonging.

Where required, people could access support around their religious needs. The home had good links with the local parish church. One staff member told us, “We respect people’s diverse backgrounds here. We involve residents in celebrating different cultures.”

The service was exceptional at promoting people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing. One relative told us, “The staff give my [person] the best of care and allow them as much independence as possible. They are treated with respect.”

The care home's approach to care focussed on the whole person, including their social life, hobbies, relationships and goals, to promote emotional wellbeing. This was evidenced in how staff supported one person, who had significant mobility needs, to attend concerts by their favourite artists. People’s care plans included information about their aspirations and we saw several other records of how people had achieved these.

The service had an activities team and people had a vast range of meaningful activities and special events available to them, and choice to participate in if they wished. Staff provided very positive feedback on the activities available. One staff member told us, “People take part in one to one and group activities. It was our summer fete recently. There was entertainment, the bar was running, and people wore Hawaiian shirts. People took part in arts and crafts. We also do pub Fridays where staff support people to go to the pub if they want to go.”

People told us about how much they enjoyed the activities available and how staff actively supported them to participate in them. One person told us, “When I came here, I helped with my care plan including my likes and dislikes. I usually provide my own entertainment. I enjoy reading music and painting which the home facilitate.” We observed this person had a painting displayed in their room which they had painted themself at the home. Another person told us, “Life for me is fun here. There is always something to do. We do go out for shopping and have a regular visit to the pub next door.”

People were able to make everyday choices about their care. One person told us, “I can make my own choice about most things. I pick my own clothes and what I eat. I go to bed whenever I want.”

The service listened to and understood people’s needs, views and wishes. Staff responded to people’s needs in the moment and acted to minimise any discomfort, concern or distress.

Although the service had not been formally auditing call bell response times, the registered manager told us they would start to do this. During our inspection, we observed people were responded to straight away when they requested support. One person told us, “I have never had to wait. I don't have a problem getting help if I need it.”

The service always cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and was exceptional at supporting and enabling staff to always deliver person-centred care.

The service demonstrated a sustained and embedded commitment to workforce wellbeing and enablement. Staff consistently told us they felt valued, listened to, and well supported in their roles. The management team were described as ‘approachable’ and ‘fair’, and encouraged staff to speak up and contribute ideas. One staff member told us, “Even if management are busy, they will be there for us, they are very accessible.” Another staff member told us, “[The registered manager] treats everyone equally and staff feel confident going to them.”

Staff reported high morale and a strong sense of team cohesion. One staff member told us, “I feel thoroughly supported. Communication and morale are at an all-time high. I feel listened to, and the managers know how to get the best out of me. I can be the best version of myself at work.” Another staff member told us, “I am very happy with [the management team], and they are very clear about our roles and responsibilities. We all work very well as a team.”

The management team had a strong focus on staff development and creating a motivated and stable team. The registered manager told us, “I like to support staff to progress. I am very trusting of the team, and they get on with things.” Staff told us the training they received was comprehensive and of high quality, and they felt very well supported through regular supervisions and meetings.

The service had implemented a range of initiatives to promote staff wellbeing and recognise good practice. Staff incentives were in place to nominate and award staff who had gone above and beyond in providing quality care to people. Recognising individual contributions helped to promote a positive culture where staff felt appreciated and motivated. This in turn supported staff retention and helped maintain a consistent, stable and motivated workforce, which directly benefited the people using the service. One family member told us, “I think the [registered manager] runs a good team of staff and there isn't a big turnover of staff. People will stay in their job if they enjoy it and are treated well.”